Chris Harrison Has Harsh Feelings About A Possible Bachelor Return

Chris Harrison parted ways with the "Bachelor" franchise in 2021 after serving as its host for nearly two decades. The decision came a couple of months after Harrison defended "Bachelor" star Rachael Kirkconnell during an interview with former "Bachelorette" lead Rachel Lindsay on Extra. At the time, photos of Kirkconnell at an antebellum party had surfaced online. Backlash ensued, causing Harrison to make the decision to step away from his hosting duties for a bit, Us Weekly reports. A few months later, however, his fate was sealed. 

"I'm so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we've made together," Harrison said. "While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I've made will last a lifetime," Harrison said in a now-deleted Instagram post, according to The New York Times. Harrison took a good deal of time away from the spotlight to regroup, but has since returned with an all-new podcast. "I'm very excited to announce my new partnership with iHeartRadio launching a podcast network," he captioned an Instagram post in December 2022. "More importantly, I'm excited to connect with all of you once again. I love you all, and have missed you very much," he added.

On the January 19 episode of "The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever," Harrison answered some fan questions, one of which was about any potential return to the franchise. Harrison's response was rather harsh.

Chris Harrison seems to have learned some valuable lessons in the aftermath of his "Bachelor" departure. And while he says that he does have some things in the works, he admits that he's being mindful of the people he chooses to surround himself with. On "The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever," someone asked Harrison if he would ever host "The Bachelor" again. He replied, "It is so important who I work with or work for. I don't see a path back ... where I could find happiness and contentment." He went on to say that he is fairly certain that the team working on the ABC show feels "the exact same way."

Harrison then compared "The Bachelor" to its subject, saying, "This show, this whole concept is about relationships and I look at that question as a relationship ... most of us have made this mistake. When you get out of a relationship, it ended for a reason, you got out for a reason." Continuing the analogy, he decided, "Making the mistake of going back into a relationship, you do it sometimes for safety, you do it because it made you feel good, you're longing for something, we remember the good old days, the good times. You forget the bad in the relationship... what I learned in relationships, I would apply here."

This seems to solidify that Harrison is done with "The Bachelor" franchise ... for good.